Core Revision
Part 1 MFOM and the DOccMed MCQ: the same paper
Part 1 MFOM and the DOccMed MCQ are the same paper. The Faculty’s MFOM regulations say Part 1 is the same examination as the MCQ component of the Diploma in Occupational Medicine: it assesses the same knowledge base, uses the same question sets and has a common pass mark. What differs is who can enter, what the pass counts towards and how long a pass lasts if you move from one route to the other. Checked against fom.ac.uk on 25 September 2026.
What the shared paper is
The Diploma regulations describe the MCQ as typically 80 best-fit questions in 1 hour 45 minutes, which works out at about 79 seconds a question. Items are single statements or stems with up to five statements. You choose the single best possible fit. There is no negative marking. The paper is sat online through TestReach.
The Faculty publishes seven example questions without answers. Four are short scenarios and three are short stems, such as “Vinyl chloride monomer” followed by five statements, or “Regarding shift work, which of the following statements is TRUE?”
Who sits it
| DOccMed MCQ | Part 1 MFOM | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can enter | Full or limited GMC registration (or an eligible medical qualification) plus a completed FOM-approved Diploma Training Course by the application closing date | A doctor in an approved UK higher specialist training post or programme in occupational medicine, registered as a Faculty trainee; or a doctor with general professional training plus at least a year of full-time (or pro-rata) occupational medicine training or experience in a Faculty-recognised post |
| Usually taken | After completing the approved course | In the first year of specialty training |
| Counts towards | The DOccMed, with the portfolio and oral | Membership (MFOM), followed by Part 2 |
| Attempts | A maximum of six at each part, after which you must retake an approved course | Normally no more than six |
| Fee (2026/27) | £530 | £530 |
Sitting the DOccMed? Try ten questions free.
The DOccMed Question Bank has 1,000 questions across twelve modules, with module drills, a timed mock and the portfolio and viva guide. It is £49.99 for 12 months. Try ten questions first, free and with no sign-up.
So a GP without an occupational medicine training post, or a year’s experience in a Faculty-recognised post, enters through the Diploma route, which needs one of the seven approved courses listed on the Faculty’s DOccMed page. For the Diploma, both parts must be passed within five years of completing the course.
The exemptions each way
| Direction | Rule | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 MFOM to the Diploma | A Part 1 pass is deemed a pass in the Diploma MCQ | You must pass the other Diploma components within five years of passing Part 1, and you must still complete a FOM-approved Diploma course (Diploma regulation D2) |
| Diploma to Part 1 MFOM | A Diploma MCQ pass exempts you from Part 1 | The pass must be no more than seven years before you enrol in (or re-enter) an approved higher specialist training post or programme; if you are not in an approved post, no more than seven years before you sit Part 2 |
Two practical points follow. A doctor who passes the Diploma MCQ can use that pass as Part 1 if they enter approved specialty training within seven years of passing it. In the other direction the exemption covers the MCQ only: you still need to pass the portfolio and oral as a Diploma candidate. The Diploma’s entry requirements are set out in its regulations. Both rules come from the MFOM regulations and the DOccMed regulations.
Dates and fees
The next paper is on Monday 16 November 2026, the date on both the DOccMed and Part 1 MFOM pages; registration for it closed on 21 September 2026. The DOccMed page (updated 16 July 2026) lists the 2027 MCQs as Monday 10 May 2027 and Monday 8 November 2027, both in the afternoon. The Part 1 MFOM page (updated 24 June 2026) did not list 2027 dates when we checked; its 2026 papers were on 11 May and 16 November. Because it is one examination, check both pages when the 2027 registration windows open.
| Examination | Fee, 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 |
|---|---|
| DOccMed MCQ | £530 |
| Part 1 MFOM | £530 |
| DOccMed portfolio examination | £530 |
| DOccMed certificate | £286 |
Fees are from the Faculty’s subscriptions and fees page.
How to prepare
Because the question sets are shared, preparation is the same on either route.
- Work at the real pace. Eighty questions in 105 minutes leaves about 79 seconds each, including reading five options.
- Practise both forms. Scenarios test judgement. Short statement stems test exact facts such as action values, time limits and who may do what.
- Answer everything. There is no negative marking.
- Learn the numbers from primary sources. Noise and vibration action values, COSHH record-keeping periods and the RIDDOR list of reportable diseases are best learned from the regulations and HSE guidance.
- Use current sources. Statutory Sick Pay changed on 6 April 2026. The Faculty’s Ethics Guidance is now in its 9th edition, free online. See what has changed for 2026–27.
- Start with the example questions. Use the Faculty’s seven as a first diagnostic, then move to timed 80-question sets.
If your day job is general practice, give extra time to the topics you meet least, such as occupational hygiene, toxicology and health and safety legislation.
How this fits the platform
The DOccMed package is written for this shared paper: a question bank organised by twelve topics, three fixed 80-question papers and a random timed mock in the published format (typically 80 best-fit questions in 1 hour 45 minutes) and Core 10, ten focused minutes of questions a day. Because Part 1 MFOM is the same paper, it serves Part 1 candidates too. Free sample questions are on the package page.
Quick answers
Is Part 1 MFOM the same exam as the DOccMed MCQ?
Yes. The MFOM regulations say it is the same examination, with the same knowledge base, the same question sets and a common pass mark.
Does a DOccMed MCQ pass count as Part 1 MFOM?
Yes, if you passed it no more than seven years before entering an approved higher specialist training post or programme. If you are not in an approved post, the pass must be no more than seven years before you sit Part 2.
Does Part 1 MFOM count towards the DOccMed?
Yes. A Part 1 pass is deemed a pass in the Diploma MCQ, provided you pass the other Diploma components within five years of passing Part 1. You must still complete a FOM-approved Diploma course: the Faculty says regulation D2 is mandatory.
Can a GP sit Part 1 MFOM?
Only from an approved occupational medicine training post, or with general professional training plus at least a year of full-time (or pro-rata) occupational medicine training or experience in a Faculty-recognised post. Otherwise the route is the Diploma, which needs an approved course.
How much does the paper cost?
£530 for either the DOccMed MCQ or Part 1 MFOM between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027.
When is the next paper?
Monday 16 November 2026. The 2027 Diploma MCQs are on Monday 10 May and Monday 8 November 2027.
